Would You Consider Writing A Sequel/alt Ending. Where There Is Something Wrong With The Flight? And Jake

Would you consider writing a sequel/alt ending. Where there is something wrong with the flight? And Jake holds her close as he explains what is going on to the best of his abilities. And like the plane crash/have a water landing.

TURBULENCE

summary: jake would never get over how ironic it was. You, the wife of a naval pilot, scared of a little turbulence

paring: Jake Seresin x reader

word count: 329

“Don’t laugh,” you wine at your husband as he chuckles get louder causing the people around to look at him weirdly.

“I’m sorry Darlin’. It’s just a little funny,” Jake is loving how ironic this all is.

“It’s not funny.” He kisses your pouty lips when your grip on his hand gets tighter, “I know honey.”

Currently the two of you were sitting in a commercial plane on your way back to Texas for the holiday. Mid flight a storm picked up causing the plane to catch some turbulence.

It was safe to say you are absolutely terrified of flying, the plane rocking back and forth wasn’t helping and somehow your husband found the situation absolutely hilarious.

How ironic was it that the wife of a commander with two confirmed air combat kills was scared of flying.

Opposites really do attract.

Another wave of turbulence passes and Jake swears by the time they land his hand will be broken with how hard you're squeezing it. Not that he’s complaining.

He may be giggling at current circumstances but he still made sure to hold and comfort you.

“How come you never get this skittish when I’m flying?” Jake asks. He knows the answer, he’s asked the same question before but right now he’s just hoping to distract you.

Whenever you were in the backseat of his plane you were still scared out of your mind but never afraid when you were with him.

“I trust you with my life and I know you’ll never let anything happen to me.”

“That’s right,” Jake agrees. “I’ll never let any danger come to you as long as we both live. So believe me when I tell you there’s nothing to worry about, we’re okay.”

“I believe you.”

“Okay.” He pulls you closer when you let out another whimper at the sudden motion of the plane. Jake plants a peck on your forehead before resting your head under his chin, “shh, I got you.”

I love this so much!

Wild Rooster Chase | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley thinks about you more than he should, and his feelings for you run deeper than they ought to. You've never given him an indication that you want to take the teasing touches and playful flirtation to the next level, so he never pressed his luck. When you surprise him by sending a text message that could change everything, he's ready to chase you all over San Diego for some answers.

Warnings: adult language, fluff, angst, drinking

Length: 5700 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Check out my masterlist for more! Banner by @thedroneranger

"What are you ladies doing here?" Bradley asked as you walked in with Halo and Phoenix on either side of you. "Thought tonight was the bachelorette party?"

"The Hard Deck is our first stop of the evening," you informed him as you planted your palm on his chest with a smirk, and he let you push him away from the bar. "We couldn't miss out on letting you guys see how nicely we clean up."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, as if he wasn't actively ogling you in your mini dress and high heels. He'd never been one to hide it, and he'd never been one to check out the other two, either. But that didn't mean he was going to act on it, because he was absolutely convinced this was just a game for you. One that he loved participating in. One that he knew was never going to go anywhere real.

"Yeah," you verified with a laugh. "We look hot."

"An indisputable fact," he whispered as he pretended like you were actually pushing him further out of your way. He'd move wherever you wanted him to, as long as you just kept touching him.

"Shoo," you scolded, looking up at him as your knee bumped his leg. "I need to buy some drinks, and you're in my way."

He covered your hand with his big one and immediately stopped moving. "Nice try, Blaze," he said with a grin as you attempted and failed to get him to budge more. "But I'm definitely buying you all a round for Callie's big night." He tossed his credit card onto the bar and draped one arm around Halo and the other around you before leaning in close to you and whispering, "And you always look nice. Even in your flight suits."

"What can I get for you ladies? And Rooster?" Penny asked, cutting him off just as he had you rolling your eyes. "Wait... he's not going out for Halo's bachelorette night, is he?"

"Absolutely not," you told her, tilting your head to look up at him with a devilish grin that made him a little nervous. His arm was still heavy across your shoulders as you said, "He's just here to buy us three Johnnie Walkers. Blue Label. Neat." 

"What?" His voice was strangled, and his eyes were wide. "That's over a hundred bucks!"

"But it's what we want. Isn't it, ladies?" you asked Halo and Phoenix as you tried not to laugh.

"It is," Halo confirmed. "And I'm the one getting married next weekend." 

When Bradley moaned and nodded at Penny, you gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Rooster. You're the sweetest."

"You mean I'm a sucker," he said, finally releasing both of you. "So where are you headed after this?"

Halo accepted her expensive Scotch as she said, "Cowboy Star for a steak dinner."

Bradley snorted. "Don't forget to take Jake with you," he said, nodding to where the other guys were hanging out near the dart board. 

"No boys allowed," you reminded him. "Especially not since we're taking Halo to Cheetahs after dinner."

"Strippers?" he asked as you picked up your Johnnie Walker. "Looking at hot, naked chicks? Sounds fun. What else?"

"Dancing at Pleasure Town!" Phoenix said, taking the last Scotch and holding it up. You and Halo both tapped your glasses to hers.

"Thanks, Rooster!" you said before taking a sip. He just shook his head as you pressed your lips to the glass, but a few seconds later, he ran his index finger along your arm and leaned a little closer again.

"Hey, you call or text me if you need anything, okay? I'll keep my phone on all night for you girls."

A chill seemed to run through your body, and just the mere thought of you calling him in the middle of the night left his mouth dry with need.

You chewed on your lip and looked up at him. "I'll let you know if I need you."

-----------------------

I'll let you know if I need you.

Bradley couldn't stop thinking about that sentence. If you ever told him you needed or even wanted him for anything, he'd be there instantly. He wasn't afraid to admit to himself that he'd had a crush on you from the first day you arrived at Top Gun. He was sure you knew it, too. But there were some things he just didn't want to mess with. Your call sign was Blaze for a reason, after all. Too fucking hot to handle. Too damn enticing to be interested in him.

So he did what he always did on Saturday nights. Found the second cutest girl at the bar and tried his luck. 

It was two hours later and three drinks in with the redhead, and he knew he could probably get as lucky as he wanted to. Her hand was on his thigh, inching closer to the hem of his tropical print shirt, and she was all smiles.

"Let's play something on the jukebox," she told him, and he agreed as he followed after her. To his dismay, she picked your favorite song, and now he was having a bit of a hard time staying focused on the task at hand as she tucked herself against the wall and pulled him closer by his shirt.

"You like this song?" he asked, glancing at the jukebox like he expected you to be standing there. 

She shrugged and said, "Not really. I just pushed some random buttons," with a little giggle. "Now, come here."

Alright, so her lips were soft, and her tongue tasted like bourbon. She placed his hands on her hips, and he gave a little test squeeze which resulted in her tongue in his mouth. But the song was pulling up some other memories of you and him dancing together on New Year's Eve. When he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, it was almost a relief to pull away.

"Hey," she complained, reaching for him as he unlocked his phone. "I'm over here, Rooster."

"Sorry," he muttered, looking at her briefly, but he really wasn't. The text he got was from you. He held up one finger and took a step back as he opened it up. 

Blaze: Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time.

"What the fuck?" Bradley said out loud as his eyes scanned the message again. It was a joke. It had to be. Or else he was reading it wrong? "Holy shit."

When he finally looked up, the redhead was pouting with her arms crossed. He needed another opinion, and he'd already lost interest in her anyway. He held up his phone and asked, "What does this mean?"

He watched her eyes as she read it, and a little crease appeared on her forehead. "It says get a life, jerk." She went walking off toward her friends as Bradley looked around for someone else to help him out. The guys were all playing pool and darts, but he didn't trust them as far as he could throw them anyway.

"Hey, Penny," he called out, cutting off several people who were trying to order drinks. He leaned all the way across the bar top to where she was pouring a martini. "Tell me I'm not losing my mind."

When he held up his phone, she squinted at the screen, and then her eyes went wide as she smiled at him. "I think someone overdid it and finally stated the obvious."

He was sweating now, afraid he was going to get this all wrong. "Like you think this is actually how she feels?"

She laughed and handed off the martini before pouring some wine. "Well, I don't want to speculate on someone else's behalf..."

"Bartenders are supposed to speculate," he told her, ready to climb over the bar and chase her down as she turned away from him to serve the wine. "It's your god given obligation."

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Well, then, merely speculating, I would say that the way the two of you cozy up with each other seems a little more than platonic."

He shook his head. "No, that's probably just me you're reading in the scenario." But she was shaking her head back and forth as well. "It's her, too?" Now she was nodding as she reached for a pint glass. "Like she might actually want to make something happen here?"

"Speculation," Penny told him. "But I think you should find out for sure."

He could call you. He pushed himself away from the bar, found a nice, quieter corner, and he tapped your number in his phone.

'Hi, it's me. I can't answer my phone, probably because I'm flying a seventy million dollar aircraft at the moment. Leave a message.'

"Damn it," he groaned, already thinking about how nice it would be to sling his arm around your shoulders and lean all the way in next time. Let his lips meet yours instead of hitting the brakes like he'd trained himself to do. "Wait!" he said to nobody in particular now that he'd walked away from Penny. "Cowboy Star!"

Bradley had the fortitude to keep his phone out and use the rideshare app he had downloaded. He was definitely not sober enough to do this in the Bronco, and he couldn't stop fantasizing about your song playing on the jukebox while he had your body pressed up against the wall. He needed to get to you and get some questions answered. 

He chose the closest driver in the app, and while he was waiting for Julian in his white Toyota Camry to arrive, he read your text again.

Blaze: Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time.

"Is she so serious right now?" he asked the night air as he waited in the parking lot. "Is she so fucking serious about this? I think about it, too!  A lot!" he practically shouted as he responded to your text.

Blaze, call me back. Are you talking about a kiss on the cheek? Or something more? We need to discuss ASAP.

"Hey, are you Bradley?"

He looked up to see the white Toyota was just sitting there. You had his head so messed up at the moment, he hadn't even noticed it.

"Julian?"

"Yeah, man," the driver replied, and Bradley quickly climbed in the backseat. "You're heading to Cowboy Star?"

"Yeah," he grunted as he buckled his seatbelt.

"I love it there," he said as he pulled out onto the road that ran parallel to the beach. "My wife got me the porterhouse for my birthday."

Bradley stared at his phone screen, hoping you'd write back or call him. "I'm not actually going for dinner. I'm trying to find a girl."

Julian whistled and shook his head. "Man, you should have just stayed at that bar."

He tipped his head back and groaned. "It's a very specific girl. And she's out with some friends for a bachelorette party."

"You know dudes aren't really supposed to go to those things, right?"

Bradley rubbed his free hand across his face and said, "I know, but she sent me this text that is very thought provoking." 

"What's it say?"

He kind of felt like an idiot telling his story to his Uber driver, but he still wasn't sure he was understanding your words correctly. It just didn't make sense. 

"Julian, I am very firmly in the friend zone with this hot girl from work, and tonight she sent me this message: Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time."

"Bro," Julian said as he hit the accelerator a little harder. "You're so in, man."

"Am I?" Bradley asked, squeezing his phone and wondering why you weren't calling him back. "Like, this girl is smoking hot. She's cool as hell, too. And we flirt a bit, but it never goes anywhere. And now she's not answering me."

"Just hang on." Julian went a little faster still. "I'll get you there so you can sweep her off her feet."

Bradley hung onto the door handle, not even sure he knew how to sweep you off your feet. What kinds of guys did you usually go for? He'd be lying if he said he never noticed that your last boyfriend kind of looked like him. And in general, you seemed to have a thing for guys with brown hair who were pretty tall. 

"Shit," he grunted, just torturing himself by imagining he could be the one holding your hand and making you laugh. "Are we almost there?"

"Hell yeah, dude. Next block up."

When Julian stopped at to the curb, Bradley lunged out onto the sidewalk as he shouted, "Thank you!"

"Good luck!"

The restaurant was absolutely packed, and even the line to talk to the host was long. After a few seconds, he simply walked to the front and cut everyone else off.

"Hey!" complained the woman who was now behind him as he cleared his throat and addressed the host. 

"Excuse me, but do you know if there are still three hot women here eating dinner together?" he asked the host who gave him a bland look. "They were all in tight little dresses. One was red, one was blue, and one was like a gold color. And one of them was wearing a bachelorette sash!"

"Oh," he replied with a little smirk. "Those three." Bradley didn't appreciate the way his little grin grew as he said, "Hot is certainly the right word to describe them."

"Are they still here?" he asked impatiently, trying to look past him into the dining room now.

"No. They left about an hour ago."

"Fuck," he groaned, pushing away from the podium and storming back outside into the night. He found a spot on the busy sidewalk where he could stand, and he tried to call you again. 

'Hi, it's me. I can't answer my phone, because I'm probably flying a seventy million dollar aircraft at the moment. Leave a message.'

He wanted to scream, but he calmly said, "Blaze, it's Rooster. Call me back." When he hung up, he opened the rideshare app again, and he luckily saw Julian on the map immediately and tapped on his little icon. "Come on, Julian," he muttered, already looking down the street for the trusty Toyota to make its return. "Yes!"

Bradley threw himself into the backseat once again as the driver asked, "That was quick, bro. What happened?"

"They already left for the strip club," he groaned.

"Cheetahs?" Julian asked, tapping at his own phone before he started driving again. "Not gonna pretend I've never been there before."

Bradley tried to call you again, and once again he got to hear your voice tell him you weren't available. "I just don't understand why she's telling me this now, you know? I've known her for almost two years."

"Two years in the friend zone? Bro, do you have no game?"

"Julian, do not test me right now," Bradley said with a laugh. He held up his thumb and index finger and added, "I was this close to sealing the deal with another girl at the Hard Deck when I got the text from her."

"Ohhhh. So you're in love with her. Understood, my man."

Bradley sat back against the seat and stared out the window as the city lights streaked past. In love. Was he? You always seemed too perfect to get involved with. But love? Is that why he never pushed for more? 

"Damn," he muttered. "Maybe." Was the fear of crashing and burning what was ultimately holding him back? 

That was when Julian pulled a slick u-turn and coasted into the parking lot of Cheetahs which was advertising fully nude girls. He should have been concerned that suddenly the only girl he wanted to see that way was you. "Thanks, Julian," he said as he hopped out and slammed the door closed.

"You got this!"

Well at least Julian thought he could pull off something impossible tonight.

"Whoa, I'm going to need to see some ID." 

Bradley realized that his path was suddenly blocked by an absolutely massive bouncer with a bushy beard. 

"Come on," he complained, digging his wallet out of his back pocket. "I'm thirty-five."

"No ID, no entrance."

"Yeah, yeah. Understood," he said trying to get his driver's license free as one of the strippers walked outside for a break. He craned his neck to see through the open door as the loud music filtered out before the door closed.

"Hey, Cherry," the bouncer grunted, and Bradley looked down at the stripper who was leaning against the wall wearing a pink wig, the tiniest g-string and some pasties. 

She was looking at Bradley a little skeptically as she replied, "Hey, Murph." She kicked a rock out into the parking lot as she told Bradley, "You're getting here awfully late. All of the private rooms have been reserved for the rest of the night."

"I'm not here for that. I'm just looking for some girls," he replied, waiting patiently while Murph inspected his ID.

"Yeah," she said with a laugh. "We've got plenty of those. The hottest ones in San Diego, if you believe the neon sign above your head."

"No," he told her, really not in the mood to recount his story again. "I'm looking for some women I work with."

Now Cherry looked downright unconvinced as she asked, "Are you a stripper?"

Bradley accepted his driver's license back and gave Cherry a hesitant look. "Well, no, I'm not."

"Didn't think so," she muttered, and Bradley stopped in his tracks before he even reached for the door handle.

"Excuse me?" he asked, giving her a much more scathing look. "What's that supposed to mean? I'd be a fantastic stripper."

She shook her head and adjusted her tiny underwear. "You don't have the right build for it."

Bradley burst out into sardonic laughter. "Cherry, you must be joking," he said as he tucked his wallet away and flexed his biceps. "I could totally be a stripper."

"What song would you dance to?" she asked in an accusatory tone. 

"Sweet Emotion," he told her immediately. Yeah, he'd thought about it before, and yeah, he knew he'd absolutely kill it up on stage. But she just made a face in response. "What's wrong with my song?"

"Nothing, I guess, but there's no way you'd be raking in the tip money."

Bradley pointed across the parking lot to Hard D Boys, the male club that was associated with Cheetahs, and said, "Just for that, I'm coming back for their open auditions night, because you have no idea what you're talking about." She shrugged, and he shook his head. "I don't have time for this. Have you seen three hot women? A red dress, a blue dress and a gold dress? Like short dresses?" he asked, tapping his thigh with his hand to indicate that your dress left little to his imagination. "They are like around this tall?" he added, sticking his hand in the air around your height.

"Sorry, Mr. Sweet Emotion, but I only take note of the biggest tippers."

Bradley groaned and pushed the door open, and the music was so loud, it wasn't even worth trying to ask the bartenders if they'd seen you. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he walked around the cavernous club, trying to locate you three, but it was mostly men. And then he had the disturbing thought that maybe some guys tried to pick you up.

"Why are you doing this to me, Blaze?" he whispered to himself as he walked back through every corner he could find. He even asked a woman to check if you were in the ladies' restroom. He came up empty handed again. 

"God damn it," he said once he was back outside with Murph.

"To be fair," Murph said as he lit up a cigarette, "I think you'd make an okay stripper."

"Thank you for that," Bradley told him sincerely as he tapped his rideshare app again, but then he heard a horn honking and looked up. It was Julian, hanging out his car window. He'd waited for him. 

"She's not here?"

"No, Julian. She's not here!" he said as he rushed toward the Toyota and climbed in.

"Well, where are we going next?"

Bradley closed his eyes and thought about what Phoenix had said earlier at the Hard Deck. "Pleasure Town. They were going dancing at Pleasure Town."

"On it," Julian told him and shifted into drive.

It was after midnight now. Pleasure Town wasn't too far away, but he'd be lucky to even find you in there on the weekend. But if he did, you'd be dancing like crazy with the biggest smile on your face, pretending you liked the music they were playing while you thought about your own playlists instead. You'd be drinking some neon colored cocktail and trying to talk the girls into leaving to get cookies from that place that was open all night. You'd maybe even be checking your phone and finally, finally texting him back.

"Yeah, you're right, Julian."

"About what, my man?"

Bradley rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm in love with her."

Julian reached his arm back at a red light, and Bradley fist bumped him. "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! I could tell right away. Don't worry. We'll find her."

But it got harder to be hopeful the longer he was in the dance club. There was barely any room to walk around, and there were dozens of women in little dresses that looked like the one you were wearing, but none of them had your face or your smile. You weren't here. 

He stood on the dance floor and read your text one more time.

Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time.

He wanted to know what kissing you would feel like. Now that you opened his mind to something more, he'd never be able to stop thinking about it. But this time, he let himself finally focus on the word regret in your message.You'd regret what you said in the morning. He knew you; he knew you would never go for the idea sober. But he texted you one more time anyway.

Blaze, please call me when you get this. It doesn't matter what time it is. Just call.

When he walked back out into the cool, night air, Julian was right there at the curb waiting with a hopeful look on his face. "Bro, is she here?" When Bradley didn't respond, his face melted into sadness. "Or did she say the 'just friends' shit?"

"She's not here," he replied, once again climbing in the back of the now familiar car.

"We going somewhere else now? The pursuit continues?"

Bradley grimaced and said, "I think I should just throw in the towel and regroup. Can you take me back to the Hard Deck? I'm definitely sober enough to drive home now."

But even Julian sounded disappointed now. "Of course, dude. Anything you want."

"Thanks," Bradley grunted, watching as the city lights faded a bit as they got closer to the beach. When Julian parked near the Bronco, he said, "I appreciate all your help tonight."

He gave Bradley another fist bump. "You gotta start fresh tomorrow, man. And you can't leave me hanging, okay? I need a wedding invitation."

Bradley chuckled as he climbed out for the last time. "I'm about to leave you the biggest tip."

He tapped two hundred bucks into the app as Julian drove off shouting, "Good luck!"

With nothing else he could do right now, he climbed in the Bronco, cranked the engine and started to drive himself home for the night. He was tempted to swing by your place or at least try to call you one more time, but he decided to let you get some sleep before you started to regret your message. That way he'd have a little more time with this hopeful feeling in his chest.

----------------------------

There was pounding. There was so much pounding. Maybe someone turned the music up even louder at Cheetahs? Or were you at Pleasure Town now? "Make them turn it down," you moaned, trying to cover your ears. That's when you realized you were in your bed. At home. Someone was knocking on your front door.

"Wait," you croaked as loudly as you could, your ears still buzzing from the loud music all night long. The bachelorette evening had been highly successful. Halo had a great time. But now you were hungover and not in the mood to deal with anyone. 

As you climbed out of bed, you grabbed your phone from the nightstand to check the time. The battery was almost dead, and you had a bunch of missed texts and calls, but you couldn't even focus on that until the pounding ceased.

"Please stop," you whined, flinging your door open before you even checked to see who it was. When you saw him it felt like someone poured warm caramel sauce on your heart or shoved you hard into a wall made out of soft foam: he always made you feel good and gooey and squishy in the most heart pounding, confusing way. "Rooster."

When he moved slightly, he stopped blocking the sunlight behind him and you squinted your eyes and groaned as you took a step back. "Blaze," he said in that raspy as sin voice as he blessedly closed your front door behind him. "You have a hangover."

You nodded, but even that was too much. "What gave it away?" you asked him softly, still holding your phone.

He snorted. "Well, for starters, you're still wearing your dress from last night."

"Oh." You hadn't realized that as you looked down at yourself for confirmation. "We went pretty hard. I can't even remember much after you bought us the Johnnie Walker at the Hard Deck."

He remained quiet until you looked back up at his face. "You... remember texting me?" His tone was one you'd never heard before, and it took you a few seconds to realize he was nervous. On edge. Hesitant. He was never any of those things with you, and you didn't like this at all.

"I texted you?" When you lifted your phone higher, you started to wonder why he hadn't hugged you when you opened the door. He usually always did. He swallowed hard, and you watched the scars along his neck as his Adam's apple bobbed.

"You really don't remember?"

Now he just sounded really fucking sad, and for some reason your brain was screaming at you that there was something you were definitely supposed to recall from last night. Something about Bradley. You left him at the Hard Deck after he paid for the Scotch, and then you went to dinner and drank more while you thought about him the whole time. But there was definitely something else.

"No. I really don't remember," you whispered, annoyed with yourself. You felt like it was somehow your fault that his lips were pressed in a tight line and his brow was creased.

"It's not important," he replied, all businesslike now. "Can I see your phone for a minute?"

"Yeah," you told him, handing it over and watching while he punched in your passcode. "What did you end up doing all night?"

He sighed and looked at you. "I ended up following you around to no avail."

"Why?" you asked, still clearly missing a piece of this whole puzzle as he started tapping your phone screen with his thumb. 

"That's not important either," he whispered, and you decided you didn't like any of this. 

You snatched your phone out of his hand and wrapped your arms around his neck. Almost reluctantly, he hugged you back before reaching his hand up to where you were holding your phone, trying to get it again. "What do you want my phone for so badly?"

He was acting strange, and when he said nothing in response, you lunged out of his grasp and tapped on your text thread with him. 

"Blaze," he barked out, but it was too late. You read what you'd sent him last night.

Full disclosure, I'm drunk. And I'll probably regret this in the morning, but... I think about kissing you all the time.

"Oh my god!" you screeched. "I didn't delete that?! I hit send!" You couldn't even meet his eyes now as you tried to figure out how to get him to leave so you could cry in peace.

"Blaze, it's okay," he promised, but you knew it wasn't.

"You were going to delete that message. And the ones you sent to me after it," you accused. "Weren't you?" When he just stared at you silently, you realized he was trying to save you from being embarrassed, but it was way too late for that. He didn't want you. He was never going to want you.

"No hard feelings," he said softly. "Go ahead and delete it yourself. We can pretend this never happened."

"No hard feelings?" you practically wailed, afraid you were going to cry in front of him. "I just ruined everything. You were never supposed to know how I feel about you, Bradley."

As soon as you ducked your head away from him, his fingers were under your chin tipping your face up so you were looking him in his impossibly endearing brown eyes. "I need you to explain this to me. Okay?" He took your phone gently from your hand and held it up with the message displayed. "Please, Blaze. Did you mean it? Is that how you think about me?" When you nodded slightly, he readjusted his hand on your face so he was cupping your cheek instead. "Baby, I followed you everywhere last night. I called you and texted you and rode around in a white Toyota with Julian for hours on end."

"Who's Julian?" you ask softly as Bradley slid your phone into his jeans pocket.

"He's my new friend," he replied, which cleared up exactly nothing for you. "I went on this insane chase from Cowboy Star to Cheetahs to Pleasure Town just to try find out if there was even the slightest chance that you really meant what you said."

He closed the distance between your bodies as he stroked his thumb along your cheek. "It was supposed to be my little secret," you whispered. "I just typed it out to see how it would look. I read it in my head and imagined how you might take it. It was supposed to get deleted. You were never supposed to know."

"Is it really so bad that I do?"

His question hung in the air between you, and once again you nodded. "Yes, Bradley. Yes, because it's going to complicate everything now. Work, and our friends, and hanging out at the bar. It's all ruined. Because you'll never look at me the same way you used to."

"Blaze," he rasped. "Baby, I don't want to look at you the same way I used to. Like I was never going to measure up. Like I could never be what you wanted."

You gasped as your eyes went wide. "What are you saying?"

He groaned and pressed his lips to your forehead, and you melted against him. "I'm saying that I chased you all over the city last night hoping like hell that you meant what you said. And that you didn't regret it."

Your head was spinning, but not from the hangover as you thought about how it could feel to be with this man. "You want this?" you asked in awe as your hands eased up along his chest to slip around his neck again.

"Desperately. And if you think you want to see where it goes, we can take it slow, you know?" he asked, his brown eyes hopeful once again. "We don't have to rush into anything crazy."

But you knew you were already kind of crazy about him. You had been for a long time. So you whispered, "I think I could fall in love with you," and his lips came crashing to yours. You moaned into his mouth. His lips and his mustache were even better than all those times you'd imagined kissing him. His huge hands were bunching up the fabric of your dress at your hips. You wanted every part of your body to be touching him from now until forever.

This was how good it felt when you and he stopped pulling your punches. When you both stopped pumping the brakes. You raked your hands through his wavy hair, gasping for breath as you asked, "Did you really try to find me last night?"

"Of course," he promised as you kissed along his mustache and across his cheek. "It was enlightening. I learned a lot about myself. Hey, do you think I'd be a good stripper?"

"God, Rooster," you groaned just thinking about it. "You'd be an excellent stripper."

"I fucking knew it," he grunted, half guiding you and half carrying you to your bedroom. "Listen, we should cuddle right now, but I'm going to need you to come to Hard D Boys with me one night. I'm pretty sure it's just to prove a point, but you never know."

You really weren't positive what he was talking about now, but it didn't matter. His lips were on your neck, and his weight was pressing you down onto your bed, and he was saying the most wonderful thing.

"I know for sure I could fall in love with you."

-----------------------------

He's such a simp, he would chase you anywhere. Imagine taking your brand new boyfriend to his stripper audition just because he has to prove a point. I mean, I wouldn't complain lol. Thanks for reading! And thanks to @beyondthesefourwalls and @thedroneranger

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Beautiful! Absolutely Beautiful!

Day Three [Protect Thy Savour]

Summary: When Jake and Hollywood are enjoying a fire in the comfort and silence of Jake’s courtyard, Hollywood reminds Jake that nothing was ever his fault.

Warnings: PTSD. Shared Trauma. Jake Seresin x F!Reader. Mentions of Captivity. Survivor’s Guilt. Mental Health

Word Count: 0.9k

Whumptober Prompt Day Three: Shared trauma, survivor’s guilt, “It’s not your fault.”

Author Note: Please make sure you read the warnings provided. Disclaimer: I do not condone nor endorse the actions that are written about during the month of October. These works of fiction are just that, fiction and should be treated as such. Thank you to @ailesswhumptober for this year's prompt list.

Whumptober Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Bruises Masterlist

“I wish this moment could last forever.” Time is a strange thing. When you’re waiting for something good to happen, it can often feel as if time is dragging on. But when you want it to slow down? It goes by in the blink of an eye. 

“We can stay right here, like this, for as long as you want Hotshot.” The odd part is time isn’t real. It’s a concept imagined by scientists based on the imperfect movement of Earth around the Sun. 

“Hmm, sounds perfect,” So why do people put so much importance on something that’s just a theory? The simple answer to that loaded question….is that it’s sometimes all people have. 

There’s never enough time. Work, friends, being held hostage in the middle of nowhere for months on end, life, death. Something always cuts our time short. So our best bet is to make the most of the time we have. Or we can strive to make up for lost time. But sometimes, if we’re really lucky….time stands still. 

The crackle of the fire pit filled the comfortable silence you and Jake shared. His courtyard had become a space where the two of you would go to fill the empty void you both shared. The void where innocence and hope in humanity once resonated within your souls. 

The orange hume cascaded down your shared silhouettes in the midnight darkness. Still, it could never be as dark as the pit of hell the two of you had shared. 

“Your hair smells nice.” Jake sighed as he held you close to his chest. Your back was pressed firmly into him as he let the side of the concrete seat hold both his and your weight. His arms hung around your shoulders as your fingers danced up and down his forearm. 

“Black plum and vanilla,” You replied, a little drowsiness in your tone. “It’s new, Phoenix made me this basket full of products, said it was a pamper kit.” You chuckled softly, the kindness of those closest to you hadn’t gone unnoticed. 

Jake didn’t reply, he simply stayed holding you close, afraid that if he were to let go he’d wake up and still be in that godforsaken cell he spent months being jealous of the rats that got to come and go as they pleased. It had just been one of those days. One where Jake couldn’t for the life of him quiet the voices in his mind. The voices that told him everything had been his fault. That he was responsible for all your pain and the trauma that would follow you for a lifetime. 

One of those days where if he closed his eyes and never woke up, Jake wouldn’t mind. He’d welcome the sweet release of death if it were to take him tonight. The only person who kept him sane enough to remember to breathe was you. 

“Hey Seresin?” You mumbled as you snuggled a little deeper into Jake’s warm embrace. 

“Yeah?” Jake replied as he felt tears welling in his eyes as he let his chin rest against the top of your head. Your touch was grounding, all-consuming, settling. It was the only medicine Jake would admit he needed. The anti-psychotics, the pain meds, the sleeping tablets, he didn’t need any of them in his damaged mind. All he needed, all he wanted, was you. 

“It’s not your fault,” Battle. Fight. Win. Loose. These are the words we use when someone is diagnosed with an illness or disease. People tend to use militarised language that implies it’s a fair fight. “None of what happened to us was your fault.” 

But when it comes to life and death, what does winning really look like? Is a person you love a loser for dying when the outcome isn’t really in their control? 

“What happened to you, me, us, none of it falls on your shoulders, Jake,” You continued as the crackle of the fire filled the silence. Jake never responded, all he did was hold you closer, hold you tighter. His tears streamed down his cheeks freely, to the point that when they fell your hair sucked up the moisture. 

“I love you–” Jake whispered as the heat from the fire and the warmth of your heart kept him sane. “Thank you,” He followed up as he placed a simple kiss to the spot where his tears had fallen on your head. “I love you with everything I have, with everything I’ve lost.” 

“I love you with everything we’ll build together,” You mumbled as you moved Jake’s hand up towards your lips. You couldn’t help but to leave a gentle kiss on his knuckles. “I Promise.” 

When it comes to medicine, who’s to say what’s winning or losing? There’s just as much value in trying again as there is in letting go. Letting go of suffering, regret, pain, fear. Instead of saying someone we love is battling, beating, fighting, winning or losing, why do we just tell the truth? 

That its not always a fair fight. 

*******************************

Every time I even think about looking at my WIP of a crossover fic between the Maximum Ride universe and the Marvel universe. I know I don't have many, if any followers. But would anyone even be kind of interested in a fic like this? Or is everyone trying to forget that Maximum Ride was even a thing? Please comment, or do whatever it is, private message me. And let me know your thoughts about this idea. If even one person would read it I would put more effort into finishing it.

me: *opens document to write* brain: let’s rethink the entire plot instead

See there’s a problem with reading this the days it’s posted. That just means I have to wait for the next chapter to be posted. 😭 But it’s not like I can’t read it the day it comes out. Ugh the torture!

Desert Rose

Chapter 62 ~ Deafening Cries

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 7.2k

In this chapter ~ Rick and the others head into the city when they heard the news about what happened to Beth and Rose. Though they hit a few bumps in the road to get their people back, it seems for a moment that everything worked out in the end. That is until a horrible and sudden death occurs right when they least expect it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THIRD PERSON POV *~*~*~*~*~*~*

It all happened too fast. One minute Daryl was helping the kid back up to his feet to follow right behind where Rose had run off to, and the next she was on the ground, unmoving, laying there practically lifeless. It took him all of one second to process the fact that she was hit by a car, but the moment it registered in his mind, he was surging forward in an instant in attempt to get to her. But the kid quickly grabbed onto Daryl and held him back so they would stay out of sight. He felt terrible for doing so, but this was the only way she would get help.

"No! Let go of me!" Daryl yelled as he thrashed around in his arms.

"No, no, wait, they can help her! They're the only ones who can. They have medicine, machines, a doctor. You go out there, you'll have to kill them, okay? And then she won't get taken care of, is that what you want?"

They both watched helplessly as two men emerged to put Rose on a stretcher to move her into the car. Daryl was panting as he continued to struggle in the young man's hold, but in the back of his mind, he knew he was right. If they went out there, she wouldn't get the help that she needed. But he just got her back. After losing her for days, thinking she was dead, he got her back now only to lose her again. He felt like a failure.

"We can get her back. We can get Beth back." the kid reassured.

The car then sped back off down the street, with her just in the backseat as Daryl finally shrugged the kid's arms from off of him, "What's it gonna take?" he huffed.

The man just looked at him sadly, "A lot. They got guns...people..."

"Yeah...so do we." Daryl grumbled.

And without another word, the two quickly took off back into the city to try and find a running car so they could make it back to the church where the others stayed. It was a struggle as they felt like they were searching endlessly, before finally finding a truck that Daryl hotwired, the vehicle having just enough gas to get them back.

The whole ride back was just filled with silence. Neither one of them knew what to say, the only thing being exchanging names amongst the quiet. Though after a while of driving, the kid, Noah, slowly began to tell Daryl some of the things that had gone down at the hospital. Things he felt the man should know before they walked in there, guns blazing.

However, this only made Daryl's panic rise. Beth being trapped there was one thing, but now the two of them being stuck blindly with no way out, it was a whole other story. He couldn't bear the thought of them dealing with the assholes this kid has had described, they sounded deranged. The newfound information only made him pick up speed to get to the group faster, his foot stepping harshly on the gas as he swerved. They would get Beth back. They would get Rose back. That's what he kept having to tell himself over and over to stay calm as he gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Once they made it back to the church, Daryl didn't hesitate to tell the group everything he could recall...or to his surprise, what was left of the group. It initially confused him to see the new people were suddenly gone, along with Glenn and Maggie who weren't anywhere in sight. Rick then had to break the news, telling him the whole mess of a story about how they had to leave for Washington, but the rest didn't want to leave him and Rose behind.

But to Daryl, that was far from important right now.

He laid everything out on the table for Rick, explaining piece by piece of what had happened when they traveled back to Atlanta, in attempts to get Beth, but only ended up biting off more than they could chew. Though after hearing everything, Rick didn't hesitate to round up everyone to move out, wanting to get their girls back as fast as possible. His heart about fell out of his chest when Daryl informed them that they managed to take Rose too. He wasn't about to let that fly, not at all.

It was clear that all of them were set with a certain determination, to save their people after losing so much already.

Back at the hospital, Beth was prepared to fight back. She had never been more ready to get out of here and back to her family, though she didn't even know where to start looking. They could still be separated for all she knew, practically stuck on different planets from how far away they seemed. But that wasn't about to stop her, knowing she would rather be on her own then spend another second locked away here.

She walked through the corridor with a scalpel in hand, the intention to put an end to all of this after seeing Noah escape from just beyond her reach. But she stopped suddenly when she saw the doors on the other end of the hall being shoved open, a few people carrying in someone new on a stretcher who looked to be unconscious. She moved out of the way to the opposite side of the space so they could get through to an unoccupied room, but when she caught a glimpse of the stranger, she could've sworn she stopped breathing for a moment.

There she was. Right in front of her very eyes. Rose.

Worry immediately filled within her as she saw the state she was in, the deep cuts on her face, the bruises forming on different parts of her body. Beth's mind ran wildly though she attempted to stay calm, knowing there was no way she could leave now. Not without her. But then again, this coincidence led her to believe that someone else from the group might now where she is. And they were no doubt coming for her, giving them the perfect opportunity to escape.

An hour ticked by excruciatingly slow since they first brought her in, getting her situated with some medication and stitched up the gashes along her skin. Beth hadn't stopped lingering by that area since, not wanting to draw attention, but not wanting to leave her alone either.

As she made her thirtieth loop around the long hall, she couldn't bring herself to stay away anymore, gaining the courage to peek her head in to see her laying there peacefully with an IV in her arm. The bruising she had was terrible, her left side almost completely covered in black and blue marks as her stitches looked red and painful.

"Excuse me." came a sudden voice from right beside her.

Beth jumped a little at the man's presence, quickly moving aside so the doctor could walk in and check on her. She tried to act nonchalant for both of their safety, pretending she hardly knew the woman at all, but it was getting harder for her to hide her concern. Beth wondered if Daryl ever found Rose, or if he even found anyone from the group at all. She could only hope that someone was on their way to them, and they could get out of this place together.

"Is she going to be okay?" Beth asked before she could stop herself.

The doctor gave her a weird look, "Yes...she should be just fine."

She breathed a silent sigh of relief and made a mental note to come back and check on her herself when no one else was around. She prayed that Rose would wake up soon so she could talk to her, set up some kind of plan for when the time came. But now, all she could do was wait.

The group of five made it back to the city after a long and painful drive, now held up in a building near the hospital, discussing a strategy. They all listened intently while Rick talked about what the best approach would be, but all they could do was worry. Sasha alone wasn't in the right state of mind after losing Bob just the other night, the images of the people from Terminus coming back for revenge lingered in the back of their minds.

Daryl remained a complete mess. Not only did his wife get captured by a bunch of strangers, but she was also hurt far worse than she was before. Two car accidents in one day, that had to be a new record. He just needed to get her back, he needed to know that she was okay considering the condition he last saw her in.

"At sundown we fire a shot into the air, get two of them out on patrol. Then once it's dark enough that the rooftop spotter won't see us, we go. We cut the locks in one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor. I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out." Rick spoke.

"How?" Tyreese asked.

Rick looked up to him, "He slits his fucking throat." he said simply.

Everyone around could see how fast Rick was changing, though no one could blame him in the slightest. After everything they've been through, it wasn't a surprise, and now the absence of Rose was enough to tip him over the edge. They all knew he wasn't going to be kind or patient about this considering the number of times he had lost her already.

"This is all about doing this quietly, keeping the upper hand. They're not expecting us. From there we fan out, knives and silenced weapons. We need to be fast." he continued.

He then pointed down to a sloppy map he drew out of the hospital, with a little help from Noah. He instructed where each person would be, when they would attack, and what was the best route to get to them. It seemed pretty simple if everything would go according to plan, but Tyreese began to grow uneasy.

"This is the best case scenario, what's the worst case? All it takes is one of those cops going down the hallway at the wrong time. Then it's not quiet. All hands on deck. We're talking about a lot of bullets flying around." the man pointed out.

"If that's what it takes." Sasha said.

Ty shook his head, "It's not. If we get a couple of her cops alive out here, we can do a trade. Theirs for ours. Everybody goes home."

Rick stood up, "Yeah, I get it. And it might work. But this will work. We're getting those girls back. I don't care what it takes."

The rest stayed silent as the two went back and forth, but eventually after a lot of convincing, Tyreese finally got everyone on his side for the plan he assured would work better. It took a little while for Rick to come to terms with that, but he was running out of options and most importantly, time. Which is why he reluctantly agreed, the group moving out to get this taken care of.

They spread out in different directions, Rick firing a single shot into the air as they then waited for the cops to come check out the noise. Drawing them out like moths to a flame. It didn't take long for a car to slowly drive through the area where the gunshot was heard, cautiously getting out of their vehicle as they scanned the area around them for anything unusual.

Rick silently nodded over to Noah, the kid nodding back in response as he slowly slid out from where he hid, wanting the cops to notice his presence. As he stepped out into the open, the two spotted him immediately, drawing their weapons out to aim at his head the second they saw a gun in his hold.

"Drop it!" the male officer commanded, "Drop it now!"

"Okay." Noah complied in mock defeat, setting his weapon on the ground in front of him, watching as the two rushed over to get him down on his knees.

"I thought you were smart Noah; you didn't think we would hear you?" the female officer asked, zip tying his wrists together.

The other one looked around confused as his gun was still trained on the kid, "Where are those rotters you were shooting at?" he asked.

Then a single whistle was heard from just behind their heads, spinning around to see the rest of the group coming out with guns of their own. The two officers became suddenly panicked at the numbers they were seeing, their widened eyes only growing as they slowly realized this was a trap.

"Hands." Rick demanded.

"What do you want?" the female officer asked.

The male officer began shaking his head in shock, "Whatever this is, we can help." he spoke up, his voice slightly wavering.

Rick only raised his gun higher, "You do what we say, and we don't hurt you."

The two looked at each other, almost as if having a silent discussion with their eyes before doing as he said. They placed their weapons on the ground in unison, raising their hands up high for Rick to see.

"Good, now turn around." Rick demanded, "Get on your knees."

They did as they were told, Noah standing up from his position and walking towards Ty so he could cut the ties off his wrists. Daryl and Sasha moved over to the officers, binding their hands together the moment they were steadied on their knees, forming some kind of circle around them to which they couldn't escape.

Rick picked up their guns off the ground, placing them behind his back as he moved his way to stand in front of their faces. "We need to talk." he said lowly.

Just a few miles away from the group's chaos, Beth noticed that Rose's room was finally unoccupied, taking the chance to hesitantly step inside to see her, but not before glancing behind her a number of times just to make sure there was truly no one around. From the looks of it she still seemed to be out like a light, but she was alive, and that's all that mattered to her. The girl shut the door quietly and made her way over to sit at the foot of her bed, slowly taking Rose's hand in her own.

"Ro?" she called out softly.

She was met with silence, the only noise being the heart monitor beeping in the background, Beth closing her eyes while squeezing her hand softly, "I just wanted you to know I'm here." she whispered.

Nothing.

"I still can't believe you're here. I mean...I knew you were alive; I had always had feeling. I just wish I could've seen you again under better circumstances. They wouldn't tell me what happened to you...but I just know that you're in here because of something they did. They aren't...they aren't good people. But I'm gonna get you out if it's the last thing I do...I promise."

Still nothing.

Beth sighed sadly at the lack of reaction, bowing her head as she did something she hadn't done in a long time...she prayed. After her dad died a horrible death, she didn't really feel like praying anymore, questioning if God even existed after having to witness something so horrid. But right here, right now, she found herself pleading. Knowing that if there were some higher power out there, that's what could help her in a moment of need.

It seemed almost impossible, a miracle she would guess, but the moment her silent prayer ended, she felt Rose's hand move slightly in her own. Her head snapped up to see her face, watching as the woman groaned softly, before slowly opening her eyes. An instant smile was brought to Beth's face, quietly thanking God for his fast works as she waited patiently for Rose to fully wake.

Her vision was blurry when she first opened her eyes, taking them a few seconds to adjust to the sudden bright light shining down on her, for a moment she thought she was dead with how blinding it seemed. Though the more she blinked, the more she gained consciousness, the more she felt the sharp pain in her side as she let out a deep sigh at the pressure that lingered there.

When her eyes finally focused, glancing briefly around the room, she could've sworn she was dreaming. There right in front of her eyes was Beth sitting at the edge of her bed, her hand grasped tightly in her own.

Rose's eyes widened as she sat up a little, hearing Beth let out an airy laugh with tears forming in her eyes, "Beth?" she whispered.

The blonde nodded her head, confirming that everything was in fact real, and Rose didn't hesitate to sit up immediately to pull her into a tight hug. She couldn't bring herself to care about the aching pain in her side, or where the hell she even was. All she seemed to care about was the fact that she had found her, although it almost didn't feel like reality.

She felt Beth shake a little as she cried onto her shoulder, still holding onto her for dear life, scared to death that she wasn't going to see her again. They stayed in each other's arms for what felt like forever before Rose finally pulled away to take Beth's face in her hands.

"Oh honey, are you okay?" she asked, noticing the cuts and marks all over her face.

Beth laughed again, feeling Rose wiping the tears that fell from her eyes, "You're asking if I'm okay? Rose, you're beaten and bruised and-"

She shook her head, "I don't care, are you okay?" she asked again.

"I'm okay." Beth whispered.

Rose couldn't help but bring the young girl in for another hug as she tried to hold back her own emotions. It was like everything was finally falling into place. Now that she found her and knew she was alright, she couldn't wait to get out of here. But judging by how Beth wasn't able to escape with the kid whom she met moments before the disaster, it probably wouldn't be easy.

"What happened?" Beth suddenly asked, pulling away to look her in the eye.

Rose sighed, "It's a really long story. But we all managed to find each other again...and Daryl and I somehow spotted a car similar to the one who took you. We followed it, ended up running into the kid that you helped escape, and then...I got hit by a car." she said bluntly.

Beth blinked a few times, "You got hit by a car?" she asked, with wide eyes.

"I think so, it's still kind of fuzzy." she muttered as she rubbed a tender spot on her head, "But Daryl knows where we are...we're getting out of here." Rose assured.

Beth nodded her head, "Good. We need to just wait for the right moment."

"Has there been any signs that they're coming? It could be anything."

Beth tried to think for a moment or two, before suddenly remembering when she was talking with Dawn only minutes ago, hearing the commotion on the radio attached to her belt. A few officers went on and on about a random series of gunfire close by, wanting to check it out. It was a long shot that it could be the others, but there was a chance.

"There was a gunshot that rang out near here. I overheard a few of them talking about it." Beth informed.

Rose nodded confidently, "It's them. How long ago?"

"Just a few minutes, I think. They just went to check it out."

"Okay, good. Do you know where they're keeping my stuff?" Rose asked.

The girl nodded, "They might've stored it in a room not too far from here, I can go get everything. But they can't know you're awake. If someone else comes in here, just pretend you're still asleep, okay?"

Rose nodded a bit uneasily, "Okay..."

Beth went to stand, wanting to get out before they were caught, but then stopped as she squeezed Rose's hand again one final time, "I missed you so much." she whispered.

Her face softened as she squeezed her hand in return, "I missed you too. I'm so glad you're okay, honey." she replied.

Beth smiled as she nodded, "I'll go get your stuff, it might take a bit for me to come back. Just wait here."

Rose nodded in response, laying back down in the same position to pretend she was still unconscious, hearing Beth open and close the door lightly the moment she shut her eyes.

She let her mind run, knowing she would be alone for a long while before Beth returned. She hoped that wherever the others were right now, that they were being safe instead of reckless. The last thing she needed right now was to lose someone else.

Daryl was pacing back and forth in the abandoned building that they were holed up in, waiting for Rick to return. Of course, the plan didn't go as smoothly as they would've wished, and there were a few bumps in the road.

They ended up finding a third officer that was also willing to help them after he had the whole story, but the moment he was left alone with Sasha, he knocked her out as he made his great escape. Knowing all the information now, they all assumed his plan would be to run back to Dawn to fill her in on everything. Like a damn rat.

Rick was the one to take off after him the moment he found out, the rest of them silently knowing that the man wasn't going to make it back to the hospital. Sure, all of that was bad, but that wasn't the thing that worried Daryl the most.

Rose continued to cloud his thoughts heavily. Not knowing for sure if she was okay, if she was even alive, just brought back the same feeling he had not too long ago when he first lost her. He promised her that he wouldn't let her go again and he would always protect her, but he couldn't even do that. He couldn't follow through on one simple promise he made to her, and now God only knew what was happening to her now.

Noah kept trying to reassure him that she was fine, that they would take care of her, but he couldn't make himself believe that. He didn't know if he could ever believe that. All he wanted was to see it with his own eyes, wanting her with him where she was safe from all harm.

The female officer noticed Daryl's repetitive steps, back and forth for minutes on end, and got up the courage to ask, "One of the people in there...it's someone you care about, isn't it?"

He stopped in his tracks to look at the woman with narrowed eyes, silently daring her to continue to question him. She noticed immediately that she struck a nerve and put her head down to not make eye contact with the man.

"His wife." Ty suddenly spoke up, answering for Daryl.

Daryl's eyes snapped up to meet Tyreese's as he glared daggers at him. He didn't understand why they owed these people any information whatsoever when it wouldn't matter in the end. He didn't trust them one bit to have any kind of knowledge, they could easily use it against them for all they knew. After the one officer escaped, they couldn't take any more chances with the two that remained.

Just then, Rick walked in through the entrance loudly as his boots clicked with a constant echo, immediately nodding for Daryl to follow him away from the other officers so they could talk privately. The man instantly moved toward the other end of the room and once they were far enough away, Rick spoke quietly.

"He wouldn't stop." he said simply, implying that he had taken care of him.

Daryl nodded, "This change things?" he asked.

"It has to," Rick confirmed, "The one guy who said this whole trade would work is dead. Maybe we gotta rethink this."

"They also said the cop in charge didn't have any respect for 'em. Maybe he did her a favor." Daryl stated.

Rick shook his head, "I don't know if they'll play ball."

"Let's find out."

They nodded to each other in agreement before making their way back toward the others. The officer that escaped had went on and on about how their plan could work. The head officer, the woman who ran the place, allegedly would take the deal, you just had to know how to talk to her. Now Rick was thinking that it was a bunch of bullshit just so he could escape, but they still didn't know for sure. Both men just wanted to get a move on, get in and out of there fast.

But before Rick could breathe a word to the two officers they had left, the woman spoke up, "He was a good man. He was attacked by rotters...we saw it go down."

Rick tilted his head at her, "You're a damn good liar." he stated.

"We're hanging on by a threat here," she informed, "He was attacked by rotters, that's the story."

Daryl spoke up, "Ya said the trade was a bad idea. What changed?"

"Lamson was our shot," she said, referring to the now deceased man, "So it's this, or you go in shooting up the place, right? You don't want that."

Daryl moved closer to her, "If this is some bullshit yer spitin and things go south-"

"I know." she interrupted, "I know the good ones from the bad. Let us help you."

Rick looked at her for a moment, contemplating what she said very carefully and weighing out his options, before turning towards the man, "What about you?" he asked, "You wanna live? How much?"

He stared at Rick for a moment, "Dawn's afraid she'll look weak in front of us. Thinks it'll tip things against her, hell, it will. She'll see this trade as a rip off if she thinks you took out one of our guys. So...it's a good thing Lamson got aced by rotters."

The group looked at him with a mixture of shock and understanding. They were in.

Beth barged into Rose's room with her clothes and her weapons, "It's me, you have to get up."

Her eyes flew open, sitting up quickly to see Beth with an anxious yet hopeful look on her face as she laid out everything at the foot of the bed, "One of the officers talked to Dawn over the radio. They said that a man with a group wanted to make a trade, two officers they had for the two of us." she continued.

Rose's eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her face, "Okay, good."

She then slowly stood up, wincing as she did so to move and change into her real clothes, the process slow and tedious as Beth offered to help. The ugly nightgown was tossed aside carelessly as she replaced her weapons around her, adjusting everything as fast as she could, practically itching to get out of this place.

Though her excitement got the best of her as she quietly gasped at the sudden pain in her side, Beth catching on instantly as she held her hand out for support.

"Do you need a wheelchair or anything?" she asked.

Rose shook her head, standing back up straight with a discomforted face, "No, I'm fine." she breathed.

"Ro, you were just hit by a car." Beth said.

She looked up at the young girl, "I'll live."

Beth hesitantly nodded her head and gently pulled her along so they could exit the room together. Though when they were almost to the door, Rose managed to catch sight of herself in the reflection of a mirror just a few feet away. It was like she didn't even recognize herself, the wrecked state she was in almost made her a different person.

Beth gently tugged on her arm to keep walking, exiting through the door slowly as they bumped right into the doctor in the hallway. He looked shocked to see Rose awake and walking around, "I- I didn't know you were up-"

"Yeah, I've been up." Rose interrupted him harshly as she seemed to not waste any time, "Where are my people?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to formulate a response, before just simply nodding for the two to follow him, and they didn't hesitate to keep up with his strides. Neither one of the girls knew what this would lead to, how everything would play out, but they had hope. That after everything and long time apart from one another, they could finally just breathe the minute this was all over.

The doctor lead them down the hall, slowly stopping short once they saw a line of officers planted right in the middle of the walkway. They were all facing the other direction as if they were still waiting, watching for the group to enter on the other end of the passage.

Seconds of silence passed like that, anticipation building in everyone's chests before the door suddenly swung open, the others trailing inside with the two officers held in custody as promised. They all paused at the other end of the corridor, leaving a decent amount of space in between, though Rose wasn't planning on waiting around for another second.

Beth had come to a full stop next to the officers, but Rose kept going, continuing to make her way over to her group in a fit of impatience. But her movements were stopped in an instant when someone grasped her arm harshly, yanking her back a step so she couldn't make it to the other side. Glancing over her shoulder, she could only assume this was the woman in charge, glaring at her for moving without permission.

"We do this my way." she said through gritted teeth, "You're not leaving unless I say so."

Rose scoffed, "I'll leave whenever the hell I want to."

She ripped her arm from her tight grasp, turning slightly to take another step, but stopped once she saw Dawn's hand hover over the gun in her holster. Rose laughed lightly, "Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

"You're not the one I'd shoot." the woman threatened, her eyes slowly panning over towards Beth.

Rose's blood began to boil at the implication as she glared at the woman, leaving Dawn smirking at the reaction she received. "Get back." she demanded.

Rose closed her eyes as her frustration grew, before slowly moving back to stand beside Beth once more, watching their people share concerned glances with each other at the little interaction they witnessed. It was quiet, she knew they didn't know for sure what was said, but the action was enough for them to grow uneasy.

Rick was the first to speak amongst the silence, "They haven't been harmed."

"Where's Lamson?" Dawn asked.

"Rotters got him." the female officer said, "Saw it go down right in front of us."

Dawn faltered for a second at the unexpected news, "Oh..." she muttered quietly, "I'm sorry to hear that, he was one of the good guys. ...One of yours for one of mine."

"Alright." Rick agreed, motioning for Daryl to hand over the male officer that he had in his hold.

Dawn looked over at Rose and nodded for her to go first and she scoffed at her, "Oh, now I can go." she muttered under her breath as she walked away with another officer right on her tail.

She met Daryl in the middle as he let go of the man carelessly and was quick to wrap her in a tight hug. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled back to scan her face, "Ya okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, "I'm fine."

He nodded and wrapped an arm around her to bring her back to the group, all of them smiling in relief to see her seemingly unharmed. Rick didn't hesitate to bring her in for a quick squeeze, his touch delicate to make sure he didn't hurt her further, before they both faced the other side to make sure Beth would make it over as well.

They watched as Dawn grasped her arm aggressively, bringing her in towards the middle just as Rick stepped forward with the other officer. Once Dawn let go of Beth, she picked up her pace to make it over to Rick and he cupped her cheek, muttering something to her quietly as she nodded. She then walked all the way back to the group and hugged Rose again as they both sighed in some kind of relief, knowing that they both made it safely with no complications.

"Glad we could work things out." Dawn said loudly.

Rick looked back at her once more, a scowl on his face, "Yeah." he muttered bitterly.

Seeing as everything was done, the group turned to make their way back out the doors they once came through, but Dawn's voice stopped them in their tracks, "Now I just need Noah. And then you can leave."

Their heads all whipped back over to her and stared at her with wide eyes. Rick took a few steps back toward her, "That wasn't part of the deal."

"Noah was my ward. Beth took his place and now I'm losing her, so I need him back." Dawn said, "My officers put their lives on the line to find him, one of them died."

Anger filled Rose completely at the nerve of this woman, stepping away from Daryl much to his dismay to defend him, "It's not his fault your officers don't know how to take care of themselves, he's not staying." she snapped.

"He's one of mine, you have no claim on him." Dawn said.

"The boy wants to go home, so you have no claim on him." Rick clapped back.

She stared at him, the mask she wore slipping from her face for a split second, "Then I guess we don't have a deal." she said calmly.

"The deal is done." Rose raised her voice.

Noah came up closer from behind them, "It's okay." he assured.

Rick didn't take his eyes off Dawn as he protested, "No, no it's not-"

Noah shook his head as he handed his gun back to Rick, "I gotta do it." he said quietly.

Dawn smirked a little to herself as she watched Noah hand over his weapon, the act somewhat surrendering, "Then it's settled." she said.

Rose wanted to pop a cap in this woman for her narcissistic tendencies, but she knew if she did, all hell would break loose. That wasn't something she was willing to risk. Though she didn't know Noah very well, hardly at all really, she knew he shouldn't have to stay here just by what she's seen and heard about this place.

"Wait!" Beth suddenly called out just as Noah turned to leave, beginning to rush toward him.

Rose's attention snapped to her, catching her arm before she could get too close, "Beth..." she warned with a shake of her head, wanting her to be safe.

But the girl just smiled at her, gently pulling herself out of her hold, "It's okay." she whispered.

Rose could hear the sadness in her voice, the tears that were suddenly brought to her eyes despite her smile. Though she tried to be reassuring, silently telling her it was okay to be upset as she regrettably let her go. Beth immediately walked over to give Noah a tight hug, one last embrace before she was forced to say goodbye.

Rose stayed completely still as she watched the interaction, standing firmly in her place even when she felt someone behind her begin to tug her arm back a little. She had a bad feeling that something was about to happen, everything seemed oddly calm, and she didn't like it at all.

After Beth finally let Noah go, her eyes narrowed towards Dawn as she suddenly approached her next. Rose tensed up at the sight, instinctively reaching back for her gun as her eyes scanned the scene playing before them. She wanted to call out to her, tell her that whatever she was going to say wouldn't be worth it.

"Beth." she spoke, shaking her head silently as she gestured for her to come back. But she didn't, clearly set on her decision as she simply smiled reassuringly, before turning her full attention back to Dawn.

None of them could hear what the young girl said, it was far too quiet for them to make out. But the space grew oddly tense afterwards. And then...all hell broke loose.

In one quick move, Beth took something sharp out of her pocket to stab Dawn near her shoulder. The woman let out a gasp of pain, her hand initiatively pulling the trigger on her gun that was aimed right near Beth's face, her head jerking back as the bullet flew through her skull.

Everyone froze in a state of shock, Rose's eyes widening at the sight of the girl's limp body falling to the ground. Blood began trickling out of her head, everything happening in slow motion it seemed like. Dawn's eyes widened, beginning to stumble over her words after realizing what she had done, repeating over and over again how she hadn't meant for it to go this far. But she was quickly silenced.

Rose stepped forward in an instant as she pulled out her gun, shooting the woman dead without a trace of remorse in her eyes at all. Though that only started a chain reaction, the officers at the other end of the hall beginning to draw their weapons out to aim at her for her actions. But she couldn't bring herself to care, hearing her people follow suit with the clicks of their guns as this had turned into some kind of face off.

"Wait, hold your fire!" one officer called out, "It's over! It was just about her...stand down." she said sternly to her group.

A moment of complete and unsettling silence passed before they all slowly lowered their guns at the harsh command, the group following suit a few seconds later upon watching them comply. Rose however didn't falter. She held her gun high with the intent on killing every last one of them, not caring what kind of excuse they spat just to spare themselves. None of them deserved to live in her eyes.

She stepped closer as if trying to intimidate them, but she soon felt the tears spill over her eyes as she attempted to control her breathing, unable to hold her emotions back anymore. A hand then landed on her shoulder, not even needing to turn around to know who it was and what he was silently asking. She shook her head in silent defeat, before her arm slowly dropped to place the weapon back in her belt, a sob escaping her lips in the process.

Her eyes glanced down at her sister's lifeless body, slowly falling down to her knees on the ground next to her with tears streaming down her face like a rapid river. It didn't even register in her mind that the sobs and screams that filled the air where her own, the ringing in her ears being far too loud for her to hear. She took Beth's face in her hands and brushed away the hairs that stuck to her forehead. Her heart felt like it completely shattered in half, slowly and painfully, as she didn't see any life behind her eyes anymore. Her cries didn't die down as she mourned the loss of the special girl, feeling everyone's eyes staring at her with nothing but pity.

No one dared to move or even breathe too close to her, in fear they might upset her further. But Daryl knew better than to do that, and he knew they had to go, they couldn't stay here forever despite the heartbreaking and shocking turn of events. He cautiously crouched down beside her, his hands going to her upper arms in attempt to help her up. But she only shoved him away with a sob as she didn't want to leave her side, leave her here with all of these strangers she hardly knew. Maggie didn't even know, and she had a right to see her.

"Rosie...come on baby, we gotta go." Daryl whispered, his voice breaking slightly.

His chest felt tight with emotion at the loss of yet another person who managed to worm their way into his heart. It hurt him a lot more than he was willing to admit, losing Beth who had a heart of gold and always a positive outlook. But what managed to hurt him even more was seeing Rose wailing for the girl, continuing to try and push him away.

"I-I can't-" she stuttered out as she cried, "I can't leave- her here-"

Daryl shook his head, "We ain't...m' gonna carry her out, alright? We'll bury her, somewhere far from this place."

She let out another sob and turned her body to hug him tightly. Rose had never cried so hard for someone before. She had never felt such pain before. She had never been so furious before. The whirlwind of emotions was messing with her mind, a throbbing pain shooting through her skull. It was all so surreal.

Daryl quietly called Tyreese over, slowly guiding Rose into his arms so she didn't have to walk out alone, not even knowing if she could fully support herself. The man pulled her up and wrapped and arm around her shoulders, trying his best to comfort her as he slowly guided her away. She didn't have it in her to argue, trying to walk as best as she could though she felt so weak, so hurt, so broken.

But she couldn't help but glance back, wanting to make sure Daryl had picked her up, but Ty was quick to tighten his hold on her to make her look forward.

"Don't look, Ro." he said softly, "He's got her." he assured.

Walking out of the hospital was like a nightmare. The group didn't expect to see the rest of their people just outside of the doors, but they had somehow found them, lingering outside waiting. Maggie was outside waiting. Rose looked up at the people before her with tear stained cheeks, and they all grew shocked to see the state she was in. She could hardly bring herself to look at Maggie, silently grateful Ty was supporting her otherwise she believed that she would've collapsed right then and there.

Maggie looked to all of them with a mix of hurt and confusion sketched on her face. She couldn't understand why they were so emotional...until she saw caught a glimpse of Daryl. In an instant the woman dropped to the ground, starting to sob at the sudden tragedy that hit her like a ton of bricks. Rose kept her eyes down the whole time, not wanting to see the pain on her face as the ache in her chest was already too much to bear. Tyreese just held Rose tight as the two girls sobbed for Beth, the rest bowing their heads with a heaviness in their hearts at the distressing scene before them.

~ Thanks for reading! (A moment of silence for the loss of Beth:( This was a hard chapter to get through because I just love her so much. But for both Rose and Maggie's character development later on, it unfortunately needed to happen)

Taglist ~ @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysuffering98 @mystictf @remuslittlesister

This is beautiful!

Whumptober 2024 No.7 & No.11

Prompt 7: “It’s us or them.”

Prompt 11: Used as Bait (Alt)

Warnings: Allusions to torture; Allusions to violence; Allusions to death.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

A/N: War of the Worlds was responsible for a portion of this.

gif not mine - google

“They’re gonna lead them right to us, Daryl.” You rocked back and forth, exhausted and bloody, beaten down physically and emotionally by Alpha and her followers. You had been dangled in front of Daryl as bait, a means to bring him to his knees in front of the psychotic woman. Daryl—being Daryl—had refused her demands, knowing full well that he would crawl through hell to rescue you regardless.

And he did.

He was in just as rough of shape as you, giving just as good as he got in order to free you. Now, you were huddled in the corner of a small bunker, attempting to rid your mind of the memories of what Alpha had put you through. A young couple—obviously troubled, likely victims of the Whisperers’ devious plots themselves—bickered and raved over how they would destroy the entire horde with only their weapons and their meager might.

There was no hope of succeeding, but their raised voices of boisterous exclamations were doomed to bring the enemy down on your heads. Daryl had tried relentlessly to reason with them, all but begging for their cooperation and silence. He even offered them a place in Alexandria. They had laughed at him, called him a coward.

There was nowhere else to run. If Alpha discovered the bunker, you and Daryl were as good as dead.

The archer stood a few feet away, chewing on the inside of his cheek, his gaze darting between you and the two idiots standing at the open hatch. After a moment, he sighed and pulled his bandana from his pocket.

“Y’trust me?” He crouched in front of you, blue eyes searching yours, seeking an answer.

“More than anyone.” You replied shakily. He nodded, covering your eyes with the fabric and tying it at the back of your head. His calloused hands then took yours and brought them up toward your ears.

Your brow furrowed behind the bandana. “Daryl?”

“Sing me somethin’.” He waited you out and when you didn’t respond, he continued. “S’us or them.” He whispered, a hint of a tremor in his tone.

You knew what he meant then, what he was going to do regardless of the cost to himself. He knew you couldn’t fight, that you were hurting and tired and broken. He was going to protect you. You swallowed hard, nodding as you allowed him to place your hands over your ears.

“Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket.” You began quietly, your voice trembling. You felt his warm touch pull away, knew the moment he had stood, the second he had left you there. “Never let it fade away.”

You couldn’t hear what was happening but you could feel the vibrations against the dirty, cold concrete behind you. “Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket.” You flinched—something hitting the side of your boot—and drew your knees to your chest while your breath hitched with barely contained sobs. “Save it for a rainy day.”

You were unaware of when the silence ensued, continuing with your quiet tune until you felt the warm presence slowly position at your side. With a deep breath, your trembling hands left your ears and pulled the fabric from over your eyes. Daryl was next to you, his knees drawn up with his arms hanging over them. His head was bowed. There was blood dripping from his fingertips.

“Daryl.”

“S’gonna be okay now.” The light from the single candle in the center of the bunker cast shadows over his face, what wasn’t already hidden by his hair nearly impossible to see. The hatch was closed and there were two bodies lying motionless below it. With slow and careful movements, you pulled his arm across your shoulders, thankful when he held you tighter of his own volition. “You’re safe.” He whispered.

The snarls and shuffles and whispers above ground passed by quickly, never realizing their prize was just below their feet.